The plant Taxus wallichiana which also known as Himalayan yew is now considered to be one of the most needed plants for commercial exploitation as it contains the anticancer drug Taxol. Taxol, a highly oxygenated diterpenoid molecule and potent anticancer drug was first isolated from the stem bark of Taxus brevifolia. Thereafter, it has also been isolated from other Taxus plants including the Himalayan yew Taxus wallichiana.
The applicants have been working on different parts of Taxus wallichiana collected from different pairs of India for the isolation of taxol, its important analogues and precursor 10-deacetyl baccatin III (DAB); During the course of investigation, the applicants have isolated a major compound from the leaves of Taxus wallichiana. The major compound was identified as 4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-butan-2-ol having structural formula (2). This compound can be obtained with a yield of 0.2% from the leaves of Taxus wallichiana. Accordingly, the applicants have developed a simple and cost effective process for isolation of this compound from the leaves of T. wallichiana. The process of isolation of the compound comprises the steps of defatting air dried pulverised Taxus leaves with aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, extracting the defatted leaves with chlorinated solvents and polar solvents successively, concentrating the chlorinated solvent soluble fraction to a residue and treating the residue with aqueous solution of alkali and isolating the compound from the alkali soluble fraction by acidifying it and extracting it with ethyl acetate, to obtain 4-(p-hydroxy phenyl)-butan-2-ol.having structural formula (2).
The compound (2) was not found to be active in bioassay studies for evaluation of growth inhibition and antifeedant activity. The compound of formula (2) was obtained with high yield (0.2%), converted into other structural analogues through a series of chemical reactions. In the course of this investigation, the applicants were able to prepare a new molecule represented by formula (1) from 4-(p-hydroxy phenyl)-butan-2-ol, represented by formula (2). The compound having structural formula (1) shows significant activity as a growth inhibitor and antifeedant.
The compound having formula (1) was evaluated as feeding deterrant and growth inhibitor against .sub.4.sup.th in star larvae of Spilarctia Obliqua. This insect attacks more than twenty cash crops including urd, mong, arhar, mint and coleus etc.
Compound having formula (1) is non hazardous in nature and thus is ecologically safe and environmentally sound for its use as an agrochemical.